Post-Game Quotes: Eagles Defense

BARWIN: “You are just scrapping, it is just kind of fun to get into that situation if you’re a competitor, and you’re just scrapping every play. You know it just takes one big play to finish the game and it was great team defense and [Brandon] Boykin made a heck of a play, making that catch in the end zone.”

BARWIN: “Well I was hoping that it was me that was going to make that play, but [Brandon] Boykin just stepped up before I could get there.”

On the defense in the 4th quarter:

BARWIN: “Yeah we did dominate for three quarters. We gave up a little bit of the run game, which we have to go look at. We can’t do that, and then you have a quarterback like Robert Griffin III, he got out of the pocket…a busted play, once they got that first score on us off that busted play, it kind of gave them some momentum, and then they were right back in the game.”

On being in sole possession of first place:

BARWIN: “It feels good. You know going into the bye week it was huge for us to get a win at home. Going into the bye week we come back a little bit healthier and ready to make a run.”

On the home losing streak:

BARWIN: “It’s over now, we won today. It’s good that we got that off our back and it’s really good because we have three out of our next four at home.”

On the team’s defense:

BARWIN: “I think [Defensive coordinator] Billy [Davis] does a nice job of calling the game and I think that we just trust in each other and play hard. If you get 11 guys playing hard, and doing their job, that’s how you play good defense. That’s what we preach every single day, every game, and we’ve been seeing results.”

CB Brandon Boykin

On the interception to end the game:

BOYKIN: “We just had tight coverage, we were scrapping, [the Redskins] were going no huddle. We were kind of in a double-team on my side, so when the receiver went out, I was free. When I saw the ball floating in the air, I was like ‘Is this real life? Like wow. I didn’t care if I ran into my own teammate, I wanted to go up, make a play and end the game and that’s what happened.”

On how things slowed down during that time:

BOYKIN: “When the ball was in the air, it was really slow. A lot of thoughts when through my head…when I got it I tried to make sure my feet were in bounds, so I looked down and I was good. I heard everybody cheering, so it was good.”

On the opportunity to end the game with an interception:

BOYKIN: “I couldn’t believe it. I don’t know what happened? I think DE Fletcher Cox disrupted it and it kind of helicoptered out, so definitely a great job by him getting it out, and that’s how we get turnovers is through our defensive line.”

On being in sole possession of first place in the NFC East:

BOYKIN: “We’re just grinding, we’re just playing and worrying about whatever happens later, and I think that’s a testament to that. You know with the bye week it’s a great feeling getting a win at home, especially for the fans and everything is great.”

On being ready to play in the big moments:

BOYKIN: “I knew we had the lead kind of late. Even in the third quarter I get more plays, that’s just how the game goes. Especially in that fourth quarter so, between my special teams reps and my defense, I was on the field a lot, but at the same time you still have to stay ready and stay focused.”

RYANS: “Man, my thought was just make a play, somebody make a play. It got very interesting there at the end, of course we would like to keep it at zero, but they made two big plays on us, and started driving down on us…and we had to dig deep and make a play. Brandon Boykin he came up huge with the interception to end the game, it’s great to get a win at home and end it in that fashion.”

On the team’s defense:

RYANS: “I feel like everybody was making plays, doing their job making plays. [The Redskins] got a couple runs on us, but everybody just stayed the course. We weren’t giving up anything in the passing game, so we knew they would have to beat us running, and then they finally hit two passes on us in the second half, but overall I feel like we did a really good job.”

On being in first place:

RYANS: “I mean it doesn’t mean too much at this point in the season. We still have work to do, we still have to go out there and play ball, and just because we’re in first place right now it doesn’t mean that we’re automatically in the playoffs. We still have a lot of work to do and we’re not going to let that allow us to relax as a team. If anything we are just going to push to get better.”

DE Fletcher Cox

On forcing the CB Brandon Boykin interception at the end of the game:

COX: “I had it in my head that something had to happen. I knew a big play was coming, so I stayed calm and I got pressure on [QB Robert Griffin III] and he threw the ball and Boykin picked it off.”

On the first home win of the season:

COX: “It feels good. We still have a lot to work on, but we will come in tomorrow and look at it. We will just go from there.”

On what Head Coach Chip Kelly has brought to the team:

COX: “He brings a lot. He brings more energy. He always tells us that nothing will be easy, and that we have to work for four quarters. That is the reason we train.”

On the gratification of his performance:

COX: “I think I got into a rhythm going into the game. Actually a few of the plays I called them out before they happened. It all came from studying film and knowing when things were going to happen before they happened.”

On his thought process going into the play ending with a Brandon Boykin INT:

COX: “I knew they were going to throw the ball. In order to make a big play they needed to throw the ball. I figured I would just bring my best pass rush and get after it and get to RG III.”

On how the defense remains focused in the closing minutes of the game:

COX: “It is all about finishing. We thought we would shut them out, but things happened. They made a few plays in the second half that they shouldn’t have made. We always talk about it. Big plays happen. Let’s go to the next play. Let’s not dwell on that play, and then let another big play happen. That is how as a defense and as an organization we look at things.”

On his thoughts of the game:

COX: “We won. That is the biggest thing. We finished the game and won. Brandon Boykin made a big play at the end to close the game out.”